Here is a letter I received from Dr Sandra Lea-Wood of CHIP Geelong
Gifted and Talented Education in New York
In 2002, I presented my PhD findings to the Wallace Symposium, an international forum for cutting edge research in gifted development. As a result I was invited to be an adjunct professor this northern summer at the City University of New York. Hunter College is located in the heart of New York City, and part of the City University of New York network. New York State has recently created a Gifted Certificate Extension for teachers who work with gifted and talented children and my involvement was designing and presenting coursework within this program.Hunter is committed to understanding and encouraging high level achievement in diverse kinds of learners and since 1941, Hunter College Campus Schools (Kindergarten to Grade 12) have been publicly-funded laboratory schools for intellectually gifted learners, and are widely regarded as pre-eminent schools for gifted education. The Gifted Centre was initiated in 2001and is working toward establishing a set of teacher development opportunities creating a nexus for programs, activities, services, and institutions pertaining to gifted education and development.
Provisions for the gifted and talented in New York comprise dedicated schools for the gifted, self-contained classes in regular schools much like our SEALP schools and pull-out programs in regular schools.
I was fortunate to be able to live on the Upper East Side of NY while I was there and the experience of working and living in New York City certainly was exhilarating. A friend stayed with me for a couple of weeks and, although the weather was extremely hot, around 35-40 degrees with humidity to match, we were able to visit most of the wonderful museums in New York and actually row on Central Park Lake. Claudia and I went to two Broadway shows as well as spending a day at Sag Harbor on Long Island.
Sandra Lea-Wood PhD
Manager
CHIP Centre Geelong
On Friday 6 February 2009 Carolyn Jennings from Active Minds Warrnambool and I visited Geelong for a meeting at Highton Primary School. Dr Sandra Lea-Wood had organised the meeting which was aimed at establishing a CHIP Geelong Parent Support group. A good size group of enthusiastic parents attended.I discussed the importance of parent support groups and the reasons for the need illustrated by a PowerPoint Presentation and giving examples of activities conducted by Melbourne groups.
Gifted Resources 